Cultivator.



"N,0 718,787. PATENTED JAN. V20, 1903.

' W. S. NEAL.. GULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15,V 1902.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SHAEFFER NEAL, OF BREWTON, ALABAMA.

CU LTIVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,787, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed July 15, 1902.

To all whom, t may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM SHAEEFER NEAL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brewton, in the county of Escambia and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Cultivator, of which the.

following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Myinvention relates to that. class of cultivators known as su rface-cultivators, adapted to be moved by one horse and guided by hand.

The purpose of theinvention is to provide a simple, light, durable, and effective device of such type' having a shovel-blade detachably connected thereto which in the operation of the device will remove any vegetation in its path and will likewise destroy any crust which maybe formed on the top of the ground after a rain, for example.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a machine which may be quickly and conveniently adapted to various widths between rows and means whereby cultivatorteeth or small plows may be attached to the shovel-blade when it is desired to cultivate the ground more deeply.

The invention consists" in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

rReference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through the device, the section being taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the shovel-blade of the device. Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the shovel-blade, illustrating the application of a small plow thereto. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the shovel-blade, illustrating the attachment of a cultivator-tooth thereto; and Fig. 6 is a plan view of a plain shovel-blade having its lower corners at each end rounded or cut off Serial No. 115.681. (No model.)

plied. In transverse section the shovel-blade A has a downward and forward inclination,

and its bottom edge is sharp, and said blade is more or less longitudinally curved, its front face being concaved. In order that the cutting edge may be conveniently kept sharp, the back portion of the blade at its bottom edge is provided with an upward and rearward beveled surface l0. The ends 11 of the shovel-blade extend backward at an angle to the body of the blade in order that said ends while the device is being operated may shovel the dirt or soilout laterally-among the plants in the drill and cover up any little vegetation in the drill that the blade cannot reach Without danger of cutting the plants. The bottom or cutting edge of the shovel-blade is more or less conveXed, as is shown in Figs. 3 and 6.' p

In Fig. 6 I have shown a blade A, in which the wing ends 11 are omitted and in which the lower corners of the blade at each end are rounded or cut off to prevent injury to the plants. Near the upper edge of the shovelblade A in the front surfaceof the blade the blade is stamped or otherwise operated upon to form depressions 13, and these depressions are at the same distance from the center of the blade and are near said center. In these depressions the lower ends of handles 14 are secured by bolts or their equivalents, as is best shown in Fig. 2.. These handles are connected and braced by a threaded rod 15,Which extends through the handles and is provided at its outer ends with suitable nuts and washers 16 at each side of the handles, so that the handles 14 may be applied to shovel-blades A of different lengths; but the handles may be otherwise attached, if desired.

In connection with the shovel-blade A just described side beams 17 are employed. These side beams have a downward and forward inclination, and at their rear portions the said side beams are curved' more or less downward and forward to a point at the back of the shovel-blade A, as is shown at 18 in Fig. 1. The rear curved ends 18 of the side beams 17 are detachably connected to the shovelblade A by set-screws, bolts 19, or like desaid side arms or beams near their rear curved portions, and at each end of the rod 2O locknuts and washers 2l are provided. The forward ends 22 of the said side beams 17 are bent inward or in direction of each other, and a spindle 23 is passed through the forward end portions of the said side arms or beams 17, as is best shown in Fig. 2. On this spindle 23, at its central portion between the side arms 17,a wheel 24 of suitable size is mounted to loosely turn, and at each side of the wheel washers 25 are located on said spindle, so that the side arms 17 may be adjusted closer togethershould a smaller shovel-blade A than that shown be employed. Draft-arms 26 are mounted upon the spindle 23 outside or inside of the side arms or beams 17, as is best shown in Fig. 2, and at the extremities of the spindle 23 suitable lock-nuts 27 arelocated. At the forward ends of the arms 26 a clevis-hook 29 is pivotally connected with the said draft-arms.

For ordinary cultivation the shovel-blade A is suflicient, as it will thoroughly remove all vegetation in its path and will likewise break up any hard crust that may form upon the ground; but when deeper cultivation is required small plows or cultivator-teeth are attached to the shovel-blade to work in conjunction therewith. A small plow 3U is shown thus attached in Fig. 4, in which the plow extends beyond the bottom or cutting edge of the shovel-blade A and the shank 3l of the plow extends beyond the upper edge of the shovel-blade rearwardly over the same and down at the back of the shovel-blade a snitable distance. The plow is held in position by a set-screw 32, passed through the return portion of the shank to an engagement with the rear surface of the shovel-blade A.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated the application of a barrow-tooth 33 to the shovel-blade A wherein the said barrow-tooth extends vertically downward or backward fiom the cutting or bottom edge of the shovel-blade, and the shank 34 of the tooth is carried upward across the front face of the shovel-blade, across its upperedge and down aty itsback,and the shank is held in position on the shovel-blade by means of a set-screw 35 or like device. Some of the blades employed may be turned backward, others straight downward, and some may be made with turned ends. The object of turning the teeth backward is to shovel the dirt in the drills among the plants. In fact, the lower portions of the harrow-teeth used maybe at different angles to their shanks and to the shovel-blade.

This implement is very effective, very simple and economic in its construction, and is also Very light, and by its use plan ts may be readily kept under required cultivation.

One or more braces 15 can be provided for the handles 14, and auxiliary brace wires or rods 36 are preferably mounted on the spindle 23 and on the brace 15,being passed around sleeves on the brace, so as not to interfere with the threads. The object of the bracerods 36 is to support the handlesin their backward and forward movement and to prevent their breaking oif near the shovel-blade A.

The cultivator is made entirely of metal.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a cultivator, a shovel-blade having a downward and forward inclination, handles removably attached to the said shovel-blade, side beams likewise removably attached to the shovel-blade at its rear, extending upwardly and forwardly over the same, a supporting-wheel at the forward end of the said side beams, and a draft device connected with the support for the wheel, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a cullivator, a shovel-blade having a downward and forward inclination, and rearwardly-extending end portions or wings at an angle to the body, handles removably attached to the said shovel-blade, side beams likewise removably attached to the shovelblade, extending forwardly over the same, a supporting-wheel at the forward end of said beams, and a draft device connected with the support for the wheel, as described.

3. In a cuitivator, the combination with side beams, of a shovel-blade, said blade being secured to the ends of the side bealns and longitudinally curved and provided with a convexed cutting edge, and having its ends extending rearwardly atan angle to its body, for the purposes described.

4. In a cultivator, side beams, a wheel mounted in the forward ends of the beams, a shovel-blade secured to the lower ends of the said beams, handles secu red to the said blade, and brace-rods extending from the forward portions of the side beams, to the handles, as set forth.

5. In a cultivator, side beams adjustably connected together and having downwardlycurved rear ends, a wheel mounted in the forward ends of the beams, an elongated shovelblade removably secured to the rear lower ends of the beams, handles adjustably connected together and having their lower ends removably attached to the shovel-blade, and braces extending from the forward portions of the side beams to the handles, as set forth.

6. In a cultivator, the combination of side beams having their forward ends connected together and their rear ends curved downwardly, an elongated shovel-blade secured to the lower ends of the side beams, handles secured to said blade, and braces extending from the forward portions of the side beams to the handles, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM SIIAEFFER NEAL.

Witnesses:

M. R. MCLELLAN, M. F. BROOKS.

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